Filled with protein and made with pantry staples, this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is a tasty light lunch or perfect side dish to any meal!
I'm always trying to get more whole grains into our regular menu rotation and this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad has become a family favorite! I'm lucky that my family loves olives and will eat them in anything.
But really, who wouldn't love a quinoa salad filled with red onion, red pepper, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese? The fact I can make it ahead of time is just the icing on the cake.
This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad has so many great flavors in one bite and is finished off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and cilantro....Delish! Quinoa itself doesn't have much flavor; it's what you put with it that gives it the flavor.
I've found that letting the quinoa cool to room temperature and then adding the red wine vinegar and olive oil before all of the other ingredients really lets the flavors seep into the quinoa.
A flavorful quinoa salad can't be beaten. Serve it for lunch, as a side with dinner or as a quick after-school snack. It keeps well in the fridge and can be eaten at room temperature or cold. All great options when trying to please a family.
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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- ½ cup chopped kalamata olives
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Bring quinoa and water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed in quinoa. Fluff with a fork and cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the oil and vinegar and let quinoa come to room temperature.
- Add onion, tomatoes, pepper, olives, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Stir gently. Add feta cheese and gently combine. Chill for 2 hours to let flavors combine. Squeeze lemon juice over salad right before serving to brighten flavors.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
What is the quantity of red wine vinegar for this recipe? Above shows '?' rather than a number...
It's fixed! Thanks for catching that, it should be 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
Found your recipe on Pinterest when looking for a quinoa salad to take for work lunches. I made it last night and I am eating the first serving now. I'm not usually one to leave comments but I had to write and thank you for sharing this delightful recipe. It is easy to make and way beyond phenomenal! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Danielle, Thank you for taking the time to comment! I'm so happy you like this salad, it's one of our favorites. Reminds me that I should make it this week!
I've made this dish several times. I love it! Has anyone ever figured out the nutritional information? I'd like to figure out the points for a Weight Watchers.
Hi Denise, We don't offer nutritional information on the recipes because we are not dietitians, and it can vary by brand used. Here is a tool that can help you figure it out, https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx. Hope this helps. 🙂
What a terrific salad! I adore quinoa!!!
This looks delish! Can it be made a day ahead? Anything you would change in order to do so? Thanks!
Yes, it can definitely be made a day ahead. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator beautifully!